A New Jersey waitress picked up the check for two firefighters after they spent the night putting out a warehouse fire. In turn, the firefighters stepped up to return the favor in a huge way.

According to Today.com, Liz Woodward was talking to the firefighters about the blaze when she waited on them early Thursday morning. She said she had seen the fire on the news.

“This was their first meal in over 24 hours," Woodward told Today.com. "The least I could do was buy it for them for all they do every day."

Instead of a bill, the firefighters got the following note:

“Your breakfast is on me today. Thank you for all that you do; for serving others & for running into the places everyone else runs away from...Fueled by fire and driven by courage — what an example you are. Get some rest.”

The pair was so moved that Young posted the message to Facebook as soon as he got home, urging friends to eat at her diner and tip her well.

Then, Young and Hullings found out she was trying to raise money to get her quadriplegic dad an accessible van. The pair put her crowdfunding campaign on full blast, raising $67,000 to get that van and far surpassing the original $17,000 goal.

“People from all over the world have heard our story, and from it they’re recognizing opportunities to do something little or big for someone else,” Woodward told Today.com.